Demon

Demons are one of the three dominant species in the Devil May Cry universe, alongside humans and angels. They are the primary lifeforms indigenous to the demon world. Although their exact nature is unclear, it is known that they embody the forces of darkness.

An alternative use of the word "Demon" is used to refer to any creature or force in the series that is malevolent or hellish in nature, but is not a true, natural demon.

Description and abilities
Demons come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, are naturally stronger than normal humans, and are able to perform superhuman and supernatural feats with relative ease. The most prominent ability displayed by almost every demon seen in the series thus far is immortality; demons are known for living for over two thousand years without a subjecting to old age or death. In Devil May Cry 2, Arius sought this power by summoning the powers of Argosax The Chaos.

The abilities of demons are often greatly varied among the middle and higher ranks. Demons usually seem to possess powers that are based on a certain element, such as fire, ice, or lightning. After a demon is killed, it is possible for its power to be turned into a weapon known as a "Devil Arm", though, as with the Sword of Sparda a demon does not neccessarily have to die to create a weapon from its power. Even though demons possess abilities beyond that of any human, that does not prevent humans from being able to fight and even kill a demon. Although, humans with enough skill to do so seem to be very rare.

Demons are generally very selfish and cruel, and often seek to increase their own power or influence. Very rarely do demons ever show remorse or pity, particularly when regarding humans. In Devil May Cry 4, Dante suggests that when a demon becomes selfless or loves, they can achieve greater power. In Devil May Cry, it is suggested that demons can even become human, at least to some extent, by learning to feel and express complex emotions such as sadness and love for another.

Demons and humans
Because of their inherent beyond-human abilities, most known demons view themselves as superior to humans, and as such wish to rule the human world as well as their own. It is implied that before Sparda's uprising, the demons held dominion over the human world and there were many gates and portals between the two realms; ever since Sparda sealed off the demon world from the human world, demons have been attempting to regain dominion over the humans. Although demons are generally considered evil, there are several known humans that Dante has said are even worse.

It is seen that certain demons have disguised themselves as humans and gained an incredible amount of influence in the criminal underworld, the wealthy upper-class, or even close family members and business associates of powerful individuals. However, there are also demons who deny their heritage and go to the human world to live in peace.

Despite the inherent differences and inequalities between humans and demons, they are able to mate and produce half-demon offspring which possess qualities of both species. Such example is the protagonist Dante, along with his twin Vergil, who were the sons of the human Eva and the demon Sparda. Nero is also of both human and demonic lineage, allegedly of Sparda's bloodline. Hybrid demons are greatly despised by full-blooded demons as they are seen as an incomplete mockery of their power.

DmC
In the new series, Demons seem to have greater control over the human realm. Dante states that demons exist "in every level of society in every part of the world" The Demons control everything, from banking to food production, which is visible in the dimension of Limbo. Here the lies of the Demons are unmasked, showing that by controlling society they intend to destroy humanity. An add for "Candie's" hamburgers for instance becomes "GLUTTONY IS GOOD", and the add "Home Loans for You" becomes "HOMELESS FOR YOU". The demons are even able to influence the media, either by controlling the humans involved or having Demons give the news, such as Bob Barbas.

In Limbo, Dante is witness to several instances of Demonic control, but the most dramtic instance is when the city he is in tries to destroy him. In these cases Dante is pulled forcibly into Limbo whenever a Demon or Security Camera find him and lock him in. It then spawns demons like white blood-cells to kill him. Using his powers Dante can kill the demons and security cameras, thus opening the way for him, but this in itself does not let him escape. The longer Dante stays in the world the more danger he faces, and at any point the Demons controling the city can simply alter the terrain in an attempt to kill Dante. These traps can range from opening bottomless pits to crushing him between walls, requiring him to use all of his powers to stay alive until an exit can be found, possibly by a powerful psychic like Kat.

The influence of the Demons seems to be contested by a group called "The Order", which seeks to destroy Demons and their spheres of influence. These acts of sabotage have enabled the demons to label them terrorists and turn their actions agaisnt them. Some have suffered becasue of the Demons, most notably Dante, who was forced to grow up in hostile orphanages and youth centers. This forced him to fight for his life and led to his antisocial personality and direspect for authority. This has given the Demons the power to label him as dangerous (which he is... to them).

There seems to be a single controlling entity responsible for everything. He has been shown in a recent trailer to be a bald man in a formal suit and three eyes tatooed on his head. This, in additon to a comment made by the leader of The Order implies that the enemy is Mundus. The Order seems to be led by a single individual who is able to send Dante on missions aided by other agents like Kat. His identity is currently unknown, even to Mundus.